Undergarment



,Aug. r31, 1943. D. L. MCDONALE; 2,328,087

vUNDEImmma'rJNT Filed Sept. 50, 1939 ff i? MII i mi Patentes Aug.y 31,` i1943 1 I opening and auxiliary support bands maybe pro t y `e BHDpQrter comtructed integrallytherewith. I y

h Inshorts otthe subprting, type. there is `a,

tendency fortthe mat`.`erialservingas` thesuppOrt inthe support area become detormedor to sag atte!"afcontinued` period of use`.- This is par-` struotedfot knitted fabric Iand are elastic for stretchable in a direction substantially transverse tothe wales of f the fabric. ,Thef'materialyhas a f tendencyto become' stretched out of shape after` ticularly truein thoscgarments which are conf' y ""25328l874 Y f t v Y. L.; McDonald, Illz; assignertiof"` si'Mglilcponaldyilvanstom Ill.- f i t sparisce@ 3o, 1939, serrant. 297,26'7 Q 3 y' Y; t t f sciaimsg;(01.1215152155 -'Ihisinventionf-relatestoan undergarrnent and A more Aparticularly to shortsifhaving NITED, STATES i ventiori,y referencewill now be 4had to theV ing,.in which: i

l Fig -1is `a rear viewV of fa pairof shorts con-` a continued period of useiandgthe support area v "becomes looseand theeii'ectiveness of the con- "struction as asupportyis lost h 1101.1@` Object or this invention is the provision nl amundergarment having a supporter conshapeafter aperiod of use. i

a tendency toA sag jorbecomestretched out fof A further @ejector this invention listhe provision of ahOnsBggingsupportiarea ,inan undery garment whichnis positively supported bybands` extending frornthe `vsjatstline ci the garment and embracing the support area.`

I Furtheryand additional objects will` appear I f trornizthe following description,l the accompanying drawings, and thegappended claims.

t In1 accordance.with` this inventionthe tendency `of thesupport areaof knitted; shorts to become thelother. Thusa composite sheet is provided which .restrictsV anysubstantiai stretching of the support areaof the garment,l since vthe `normal direction of stretch of vone `of the sheets isvopfv layer of knitted "fahr-ic in that vportionof the' Fig. 2 is: c, `front` `view or theshorts shownin Fig-I1# i L l 1 i Fig; 3 is abroken'rearviewushowing detailsof structed in `accordance `with one embodiment-wf l the supportstructureas viewed from the inside of' the garment.

Fig. 4.is a reduced sectional view taken along the 1ines4,4iof Fig. `2. c v y i Fig.` 5 is `a reduced disassembledview voi the several blanks which form; the V-shaped front` section ofthe garment shown in Figs. 1 to.4. l" Referring specically to ,the` drawing, the

t shorts or undergarmentconstructed iniaccordf lstructed:integrallytherewith which does not have ance with one embodiment of thisyinvention comprises s. main body portion I0l having a-waisti band II and` depending legfportions y I2` i The body portion Il) andlthe leg portions I2 may be` constructed of a single piec'eof knittedffabric having vertically extending` wales or ribs I3;` the .normali stretch lof the garment is" in a horizontal direction; so.y that itl may snugly ,fit 'h and readily conform rto the contour of thebody. The `waistband II is preferabhf` an elastic band of any desired construction and the lower edges .Il of the leg portions I2 may be provided with an t elastic` band or be so stitched as not to restrict the stretchability thereof, vThe main body portion JIJ is discontinuous in` the front portion of the garment along the bands or seams I5 and a V-shaped-sheet Hi` of a material similarto the main body portion II! and havinggvertically exu tending wales I'I` may be stitched to the riain body portion IIJ` along the lines indicated by the i t bands I5; `The sheet I6 also is attached to the posedyto the normal `stretch of" the other sheet h toxwhich aus stitched.1 -A firm support is provided in thehreiniorced section otffthe support 4whichdoes nothave t supportband providesa means forxsecuring the composite layer lto the main body` portion of the support inthe desiredposmcn, A suitable n' vided in the shorts if desired.

Fora more complete understanding of this i shorts and also provides ,a means for holdingth mainibodylportion` I0 along aseam I 8 positioned in the crotch'portion of the shorts adjacent the i front thereof.y Thebands or binding strips lIii are positioned alongthe seams between the main bodyportion `I0 and `the V-shaped sheet I6 an extendxin a.- converging direction -fromthe Waistf` I i band` II to the crotch. `The binding strips k,I5 are substantiallynorielastic` and thus provide substantial supporting means for the support area of the shorts in the area of the lower part of the V-shaped `sheet y t6. i i Further `binding strips `I!! may be sewed directlytotheL V-shaped sheet` I6 to provideadditional supporting bands forti-the front portion of the shorts. Aslotrl (Fig.` 3\).i,s

. provided in the V-shaped sheet; I6 inorderwyto provide a, iiy furthe shorts. As seen in Figure` 2;. W thel slot!!! is bounded by the strips I9 and 22 the being shown ascovered thy` the inside strip n this figura, i i.

pn the inside of the `front ric reinforcement 2|. It"is`positioned within portion of the i "d suitably stitched in place at its edges is a `the main body portion by suitable rneans.

prior to assembly is shown in Fig. 5.

the areas bounded by the lower portions of the supporting bands I5, the crotch seam I8, the supplemental supporting band I9 opposite the fly slot 2D, the waistband I I, a portion of the Supple-y mental supporting band |55 adjacent thejfly slot 2i), and the edge 22 of the fly opening Eil.

The reinforcement 2I is preferably a knitted fab-l ric and is disposed so that the wales 23,A of the K material extend in a horizontal direction. The*v` wales 23 of the reinforcement 2| thusextend.VVT transversely of or at right angles to the wales;

I1 ofthe sheet I6.- The normal stretch of the body portion having an opening in the front thereof extending from the crotch of the garment tothe waist portion,A a first sheet having sublstantially the `samey contour as the opening secured at its peripheral edges to the main .body

u portion within said opening, said first sheet havcomposite fabric in any direction is thereby limi ited. The reinforcement 2.I limits the lateral or horizontal stretch of the sheet I6, and the latter limits the vertical stretch ofl said reinforcement.

In order to provide a covering 'on the inside offthe lgarment for the `yopening 2i), anelongated strip 24 is stitched into the upperportion of the V-shaped sheet I6 over the uppe'rportion of the reinforcement 2|. As shown in Fig. E, the fly opening covering strip 24 is stitched into the garment along its edges which are coincident with binding IS adjacent the fly-opening, a small portion of thewaistband II, a portion of the binding I9 opposite the fly opening, anda small portion ofthe binding I5 adjacent the y opening' The-edge 26 ofthe auxiliarystrip 24 may be bound, but this edge is left freeA sothat access may be'had to the interior of the garment through the fly opening 2B.

Thegarment described in the foregoing may be assembled by first pre'paring the composite support portion which* may then be attached to .Y A disassembled Viewl of Said composite support Thus the Vv-shaped piece I5 may be slotted to provide the fly opening 2Q. AThe reinforcement Zifmay thenvbe attached along its edges to the sheet It in the desired position. The auxiliary fly covering strip 24 is then stitched into place. The composite V-shaped assembly thus formed may then be secured alongv cut-out edges of the main body portion Ill by means of the binding strips or supn` port bands I5. The leg portions I2 thereafter may bestitched to provide suitable edges ld and the waistband II may be secured tol the completed garment.

An undergarment is thus provided which affords comfortable support for the wearer.v The support is obtained directly from the b'elt portion of the garment, since the supporting bands extend directly from the belt or waist portion to the crotch and extend around the support area.

The double layer rof knitted fabric disposed within the support prevents excessive stretch of the support area of thegarment. The support does not have a tendency to sag or get out of shape after a period of continued use.

It is not intended that this invention shall be restricted to the particular garment construction shown in the drawing and 'described in the foregoing.v Thesupport structure may be used in various types of undergarments. AThe leg portions of the garment may be abbreviated or of any length desired.

While a particular embodiment of this invention isshown above, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto since many modications may be m and it is contemplated, therefore, by the ing a slot therein providing a ily opening for said garment, a second sheet secured to said rst sheet in a front portion of the garment providing a reinforced double thicknss fabric forl the support area of said garment, and a covering strip secured to the inside' of 'said lgarment over said slot to provide a ynormally closed fly opening through which access maybe had.

" 2. The undergarment recited'in clairnl wherein said rstsheet and said second sheet are knitted'sheets and wherein the wales of one of said sheets are disposed at an angle tothe/wales of the other ofsaid sheets.r l y Y 3. 'The undergarment recited inl claim l. in Whichsubstantially nonelastic support bands extending between the -Waist portion and the crotch portion are stitched to said mainbodyportion.

4. An undergarnient adapted tovsheathethe lower part of the human body comprising a main body portion having a substantially v-shaped opening in the front thereof extending frornthe crotch of the garment'to the waist portion, a

substantially V-shapedfsheet secured at its sides to the mainbody portion withinfsaid V-shaped opening, said Vshaped sheet having a slot there-y in providing a flyopening for said garment, va second sheet secured to said V-shaped sheet in a front portion ofthe garmentproviding a reinforced double thickness fabric forthe'support area of said garment, and a covering stripsecured tothe inside of said garment over said slot to provide a normally closedfly opening through which access may bevhad. v p

5. An undergarment adapted` to lower partof thev human body comprising a main body portion having a substantially V-shaped opening in the front thereof extending. from the crotch of the garmentl to the Waist portion thereof, a substantially Vshaped knitted sheet secured at its sides'to the main body portion within said V-shaped opening, substantially nonelastic binding strips secured tothe' side edges of said sheet and' extending between the crotch and the waist portion of said garment, said binding strips providing a support for the' front supportarea 0f said garment and said V-shaped sheet having a slottherein providing a flyv opening-for said garment, supplemental binding strips secured tosaid V-shaped sheet and extending from a point intermediate the ends of said first mentioned binding strips toward said waist portioma second knitted sheet secured to said V-shaped sheet pro-` viding two layers of knitted fabric in the sup'- port area of the garment, the wales of one of said layers being disposed at right anglesto the wales of the other layer, and a covering strip secured tothe inside 'of said garment over said slot to provide'a ynormally closed y opening through hich access may be had.

DOROTHY MCDONALD.

sheathe theV 

